Dynamometer



J B WEBB DYNAMOME'TER.

m Model.)

No. 490,381. Patented Jan. 24, 1893.

lVl'nesses;

i the caisson floats in the middle of the tank JOHN BURKITT WEBB, OF

ATENT MILLBURN, NEW JERSEY.

D'YNAMOMETER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 490,381, dated January 24, 1893.

Application filed February 4, 1891.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN BURKITT WEBB, a citizen of the United States, residing near Millburn, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, (business address, Hoboken, New Jersey,).l1ave invented a new and useful Dynamometer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in dynamometers used to measure the foot pounds absorbed or given out by a rotating machine, said foot pounds being equal to the product of twice the number of revolutions per minute multiplied by 3.1%16 and by the statical moment causing, or caused by the revolutiod of the machine; the object of my improvement being to make a dynamometer of simpler construction, greater accuracy and precision and more easily adjusted and used than other dynamometers.

Figure 1 is a parallel perspective view of the apparatus, arranged for testing the viscosity of lubricating oils, and consisting of the dynamoineter itself, with a journal box and shaft mounted upon it driven by a belt to its countershaft and lubricated with the oil to be tested. Fig. 2 is a view of the dynamometer-counter S seen from below and showing the special device for stopping and start ing it. Fig. 3 shows in elevation the mirror H in connection with a telescope and sc'ale,l and J, for detecting slight deviations of the mirror from the vertical plane. Fig.4 shows the telescope and scale in side elevation. Figs. 5 and 6 are coupling details. Fig. 7 shows the device for throwing any ordinary counter in and out of gear with. the dynamometer.

The dynamometer consists fundamentally of the caisson C floating in the tank A and furnished with apparatus to maintain it in a level position or note its deviation therefrom and with a counter-shaft and revolution counter to drive (or be driven by) the machine to be tested and count its revolutions.

The tank A rests upon skids (preferably) so that by means of the screws B BB B, in the ends of the skids, it can be adjusted until sidewise, the caisson being held in position by the countershaft. The tank may have water connections with cooks for supplying and removin g the water, but for moderately Serial No. 380.253. (No model.)

sized tanks this is not necessary and the extra length of the tank at the end Ais designed partly to give room between it and the caisson for dipping out water if too much has been put in.

The machine'to be tested,-which in the case shown is a simple journal box,N,having a shaft n running loosely therein and lubricated with the oil whose viscosity is to be ascertained,is mounted upon the caisson, either upon the shelf 0 shown across its top, or, by removal of the shelf, upon the bottom of the caisson. The machine can thus be placed at a suitable height to balance properly in the caisson, the counter shaft hangers, R, B, being also raised or lowered if necessary by changing the blocking beneath them or by the screws for that purpose with which hangers are generally furnished.

P is the pulley and Q the belt for transmitting the power to or from the machine, as the case may be.

M is a coupling made somewhat loose on the counter shaft 10 so as to act substantially as a ball or universal joint within a slight angle, 1'. e. the coupling compels the shafts to rotate together but allows them to make a slight angle with each other if they want to, as will be further explained.

The test shaft is supposed to be turned little smaller where it goes through the journal box N, so that it needs no collars to keep it in place; this understood it will be seen that, as the countersnaft is supposed to be kept in position by collars (not shown), the caisson,being fast to it, must also be fixed in position. By removing one of the pins of the coupling the caisson can be floated toward the end A of the tank, so as to be free of the counter shaft and capable of being accurately balanced and adjusted to the proper degree of sensitiveness.

The machine N is supposed to be mounted about central and at such a height as to give about the right sensitiveness, in fact we may suppose that were the machine a quarter inch higher the float would be top-heavy and would tip over to one side rather than remain level. Float is the term chosen to designate the caisson with the machine upon it, as also with all the other weights and apparatus attached to and supported by it. With the both means can be employed at the same time.

When a machine is mounted upon the caismachine thus approximately in position it is easy to bring the float exactly level by shifting the weights D, D, &c. on the floor of the caisson, while at the same time the center of son a level should be placed upon its shaft gravity of the float may be still further raised and compared with level G and if their india little by lifting any weight from the floor of cations do not agree the machine should be the caisson up on to the shelf as shown at E wedged up until they do to avoid the trouble When the machine is very light in compariof doing this the machine is simply mounted son to the capacity of the caisson it is some with parallel blocks between it and the bottimes necessary to mount a shelf upon the tom of the caisson and the level G is then adcaisson above the machine, so that a n eater usted (by screws not shown) until 1ts 1nd1- height from the floor of the caisson to this cations agree with those of the level on the shelf Wlll be available, 01 simple uprights may shaft. The machine being then mounted and be fastened to the sides of the caisson with the right degree of sensitiveness secured the means of fastening weights near their upper caisson will float level and if disturbed Wlll ends In this way the center of gravity may return slowly to the level position with little be made sufficiently high without the necestendency to oscillate about it, owing to the sity of setting the light machine abnormally dampening action of the water beneath the i caisson. It is then ready to be coupled to the 8 The levels F and G show when the caisson countershaft for an experiment, before (10111 is level and by shifting the sliding weight K which, however the reading on the scale must upon the scale L the sensitiveness can be be taken with the weightK(which hasbeenacnoted, which should be such that an inch curately weighed) carefully adjusted to bring movement of the bubble in F should be the bubbleofthelevel Fto its mlddleposition. 0 caused by a movement of K of from a half When theshafts havebeen coupled thelevelG inch to one inch; if more movement of K is should be again observed and if it has been required then more weight should be raised thrown outoflevelbythecoupling theamount to the shelf to increase the sensitiveness. of water in the tank must be altered a little to hen the caisson is leveled the sliding make the caisson level a ain that is to say, weight should be near one end of the scalethe water in the tank should bejust sufiicient near the zero end if the machine absorbs so that as the caisson floats, the two shafts power and the belt runs as the allow indishall be as nearly as possible on the same cates the quantity of water should also be level and the end of the shaft borne by the such as to bring the machine up to the hei ht caisson shall not require to be either raised too of the counter shaft. The caisson must howor lowered to make the connection. ever not be floated too high from the bottom Owing to the extreme sensitiveness and ac of the tank, and, in fact, it is better to have curacy of the apparatus the error due to the only a quarterof an inch of water beneath it, use of an ordinary counter applied by hand so that this thin sheet of water may act as a is too large to be admissible Fig 2 shows, dash pot to increase the steadiness of the apthen, a device, applicable to any design, alparatns. If the space is too great it may be most, of counter, which reduces the error sufpartly filled with sand nearly touching the ficiently In attaching or applyin or throwbottom of the caisson. Ordinary work, how- 1ng into gear by hand any ordinar counter ever, does not require this increased steadithe instant when it commences (as also finno ness. ishes, when thrown out again) to count can- H is a mirror fast to the caisson and used not be accurately observed therefore 1n the in connection with a simple telescope and figures, T, the handle or piece by which the scale set up on the left of the caisson and a counter is thrown into gear, is furnished with few feet away from it. This is the well a tail U which engages with the armature V :15 known arrangementforobservingany change of the electro-magnet W' and this armature is of angular position in the mirror and Figs. automatically moved at regular intervals (of 3 and 4 serve to explain it. If by a tipping a quarter, half or one minute, say) by conof the caisson the mirror is thrown out of necting the magnet Withaclock. The pressthe vertical position, then an observer at the I are to throw the counter in or out of gear betelescope I, who has previously adjusted the ing then supplied to the handle in advance same so that the center of the scale J coinby the hand the armature prevents the mocided 1th the cross bans in the telescope tron until the definite interval (or a number Wlll see the scale apparently move untllsome of them) has expired when it is withdrawn other point is upon the cross hairs In Fi and the handle operates. I2 3 the fifth division below the center of the Just how the handle operates to effect the scale is shown with a broken line representconnection of the counter with the countering the ray of light from it to the tipped mirshaft is of no importance; for illustration we ror and back again into the telescope. The have shown a worm gearX on the end of the level of the caisson can thus be observed counter and suppose the Shlftlll of the han- 1 o watching the level F or by means either by mirror, H, J, I, or

of the telescope, scale and on the end of the counter-shaft. Fig. 2 shows also a ratchet a formed on the inner side of the worm gear the object of which is to check the motion of the counter as soon as its connection with the counter-shaft is broken; to this end a tooth b is shown projecting from the box or case of the counter,which engages and checks the ratchet when, by shifting the handle, it is drawn back, and thus stops the counter.

My device for throwing the revolution counter in and out of gear at different intervals is substantially a part of the dynamometer and has nothing to do with the counter proper further than that it may, to secure compactness, be embodied therein, as shown in Fig. 2. It may therefore be made so that an ordinary speed counter can be used, as shown in Fig. 7, where the small letters 8, t, u, v, w, w indicate parts corresponding with those marked with the same large letters in Fig. 2.

R is the back counter-shaft hanger, to which the frame of'the device is fastened, and p is the end of the countershaft. The speedcounter s has asquared end azwhich engages in a countersink in the end of the shaft,when the counter is thrown into gear. The piecet by which the counter is thrown into gear is here a three armed lever pivoted upon the frame at 77.. One arm zterniinates in a screw clamp (or other suitable device) by which the counter is firmly held; the arm 25 carries the handle and the arm or tail it engages with the locking device. The locking piece 12 has also three arms; one of them locks the tail 2:. when the counter is either in gear or out, a second carries the armature of the electro-magnet 10, while the third is much shorter and is acted upon by the spring y to keep the lock shut except when opened by the magnet at the proper times. Instead of a clock operating through a magnet the clock may be made to unlock the device mechanically.

Having thus described the construction of the apparatus its use is as follows; It being required to find the power absorbed or given out by any machine whatever capable of being conveniently mounted upon the caisson and capable of operating, or being operated by, the countershaft, we first determine whether the caisson will float the machine. The machine may be an oil-testing machine, a steam-engine, a gasengine, an electric motor or dynamo or any other maohine'answering to the above conditions. If the weight of the machine plus that of the caisson and its attachments is not more than the weight of the water displaced by the caisson when sunk to its greatest depth, the caisson will float the machine. If the machine is a small one we have the choice of adding weights to sink the caisson to its maximum depth or of using less water and sinking it less, but so as to bring its bottom near the bottom of the tank. WVe now mount the ma- -Then start the machine.

answers very well.

chine and make it fast, taking care to have its shaft high enough to pass over the edge of the caisson and the center of gravity of the whole float not far below the meta-center, or, in other words, to have the float nearly top-heavy. We then adjust it to the correct level and 'sensitiveness and couple the shaft to the counter-shaft. bring the tank into a central position to suit the counter-shaft, which has been set so that the belt is properly tight and runs nicely. If a dynamo is on the caisson the connecting wires must hang loosely so that they do not affect its action, and if a steam or other engine connected by pipes is upon it, these pipes must belong and flexible so as not to affect the slight motion which the caisson has. When the machine is running the torque or moment in the shaft will cause the caisson to tip out of level and K must be shifted tobring'it back to a level position, while at the same time the counter must be in operation to give the number of revolutions. Then the distance which K has been moved is found by pounds is obtained, it being supposed that the scale is graduated to feet and decimals of a foot and the weight given in pounds and decimals thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 are added to explain the action of the coupling. A perfectly rigid coupling would operate just as well as those shown provided the counter-shaft journals and those of the machine on the caisson were exactly in line. That is to say; there is no objection to the counter shaft and machine shaft being, or constituting, one solid shaft, with no joint where the coupling is, except the trouble of making it perfectly straight and the inconvenience of being unable to disconnect the machine from the counter-shaft. Besides which objections if the apparatus were to stand unused until the water evaporated the weight of the float-might bend the shaft or otherwise injure the apparatus.

The coupling represented in Fig. 1 is shown in section in Fig. 5 with the looseness greatly exaggerated. I prefer a plate coupling,such as is shown in Fig. 6, though almost any means of connecting the shafts, which does not actually hold them out of line with each other, I think, however, that the plate coupling runs with less vibration than others.

The coupling, Fig. 5, is put on the shaft 72. of the machine tight and at one point fits the counter-shaft 19 while the rest of the way it is a hundredth of an inch loose, say. This keeps the ends of the shaftstrue with each other but allows a slight angle between them Then by the screws B ICC when necessary. The coupling is secured to the two shafts respectively by the pins n and p.

In the plate coupling, Fig. 6, one shaft p enters the opposite plate m just enough to center the shaft and the plates m, m are drilled with several holes, into which pins 0 are driven fitting tight in one plate but loose in the other. The plates are put on the shafts so that their ends come together before the plates quite meet and a key is put through one of the pins just to prevent the thing floating apart. hen the machine is running the pins cause one plate to drive the other and the friction of the pins in the holes of the plate causes the caisson to assume a position such that the shafts are in line with each other sidewise, they having been brought to the same level by adjusting the quantity of water in the tank. The counter-shaft is, of course, set up level. This action of the friction is a very convenient and beautiful one and may not at first be evident. When the shafts are in line the pins do not slide in their holes, but if the caisson floats out of position, 011 account of some disturbing force acting to make it, the pins must commence rubbing in the holes and this friction acts always to bring the shafts back into line.

The apparatus might also be employed simply to measure the torsion in a rod as evidently if one end of a rod Were fastened to it and the other end twisted the caisson would be tipped out of level and the WeightK, which might be a very heavy Weight, could be shifted to level it again. I anticipate, however, that its use will be mostly, if not eutirely, for dynamical, and not statical, measurements. Of course any other liquid could be used to float the caisson, but Water is the most convenient even if it is not as heavy as some other liquids.

I use the Word caisson in the following claims in the broad sense to include as equivalents any floating body adapted for the duty assigned to it.

IVhat I claim in this apparatus and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a dynamometer, in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted upon said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported independently of said caisson, substantially as described.

2. In a dynamometer, in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, rotary mechanism mounted upon the caisson, other rotary mechanism mounted upon other supports and apower transmitting connection interposed between said two mechanisms, substantially as described, whereby the tendency of the caisson to careen measures the energy transmitted.

3. In a dynamometer in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted on said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported independently of said caisson and means for noting the deviation of said caisson under the influence of the energy transmitted, substantially as described.

4. In a dynamometer, in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted on said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported independently of said caisson and means whereby said caisson may be leveled, substantially as described.

5. In a dynamometer, in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted on said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported independently of said caisson and a semi-loose or flexible coupling, whereby said connection may be made, substantially as described.

(5. In a dynamometer, in combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted on said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported independently of said caisson and an elevated support on said caisson adapted to receive a weight whereby the height of the center of gravity may be regulated, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a liquid containing receptacle, a caisson adapted to be supported upon the liquid contained therein, a power absorbing, generating or transmitting mechanism mounted upon said caisson adapted to be connected with mechanism supported in dependently of said caisson, and mechanism adapted to support a counter and determine the length of time that it isin operation, substantially as described.

JOHN BURKITT WEBB. \Vitnesses:

J. E. DENTON, D. S. JAooBUs. 

